To prepare any variety of strudel, start by assembling the filling. For the first type of apple filling, wash and dry the apples, peel and halve them and remove the core. Cut into 1/8” wide, thin slices or 3/4” cubes. Melt the butter in a pot, add the apple and sprinkle with the sugar. Steam over low heat, covered, in its own juices for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until almost tender. Add the cinnamon and the breadcrumbs, pull to the side and let it cool.

For the other apple variation wash and dry the apples, then – together with the skin – grate coarsely. Mix in 1 tablespoon of sugar, let it sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out all the apple juice that seeps out and mix with the remaining sugar, the breadcrumbs and the cinnamon.

Both varieties of apple filling can be enriched by adding coarsly chopped walnut or raisins, if desired.

For the cottage cheese filling squeeze the cheese through a sieve. Mix well with the raisins, lemon rind, sugar, vanillin sugar, semolina, sour cream and egg yolks. Beat
the egg whites until stiff peaks form, carefully fold into the cheese mixture.

For the cabbage filling cut the cabbage into two halves. Remove the outer leaves and the stem. Wash, then shred coarsely, similarly to the apple. (Alternatively, chop into very thin slices.) Peel and halve the onion, cut into very thin slices. Melt the sugar over the oil until it turns into a silky golden liquid. Add the onion slices and cook for another 2 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring diligently. If the cabbage is sliced, not grated, cook for another 6-8 minutes. When done, let it cool.

For the squash and poppy seed strudel bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil, blanch the cabbage in it for 30 seconds. Drain and let it cool. Squeeze out the excess water. Mix well with the poppy seed and the sugar. Add raisins and lemon rind, even some vanilla extract, if desired. In some regions, the squash and the poppy seed are not mixed but rather layered separately on the strudel leaves.

Wash the sour cherries and remove the pits. Drain well, then mix with the walnut, sugar and cracker crumbs. Add the cinnamon.

When the filling is done, place a clean, damp dish cloth on the table. Place the first strudel leaf over it. Sprinkle with a bit of oil and breadcrumbs. Continue layering the other three leaves sprinkling with the oil and breadcrumbs in between. Put some extra breadcrumbs on one side of the top leaf. Arrange half of the filling on top
of it along a line. (Each filling described above will fill two stru-dels.) With the cloth, roll up the strudel into a cylinder. Fold a bit in on the top and bottom of the leaves to prevent the cylinder from opening in the oven. Carefully transfer the rolls onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the top with oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven over a bit higher than medium heat (375 °F, 340 °F in air-convector ovens) for about 30 minutes. Leave the stru-dels filled with the grated apple for another 5 minutes. Slice each roll into 8 pieces.